Fence Post Cap Assembly

ABSTRACT

A fence post cap assembly includes a cap that is positionable on a fence post of a chain link fence. A loop is coupled to and extends upwardly from the cap, and the loop includes a gate portion that is pivotally coupled to a fixed portion. The gate portion is positionable in an open position thereby facilitating a top rail of the chain link fence to be installed on the fixed portion. Conversely, the gate portion is positionable in a closed position thereby facilitating the gate portion and the fixed portion to encircle the top rail. In this way the loop facilitates the top rail to be attached to the fence post. A tab is coupled to and extends upwardly from the gate portion for gripped to urge the gate portion between the open position and the closed position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to fence post devices and more particularly pertains to a new fence post device for removing a top rail from a chain link fence without removing a fence post cap.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art relates to fence post devices including a hand rail column that has a removable clamp for engaging a handle rail. The prior art discloses a coupling for coupling a pair of tubular structures at a right angle with each other. The prior art discloses a fence post cap that is bisected into a first portion that is pivotally coupled to a second portion thereby facilitating each of said first portion and said second portion to be closed around a fence post and a top rail. The prior art discloses a pipe coupling for attaching a top rail to a fence post of a chain link fence. The prior art discloses a fence post cat and a top rail loop that is removably attachable to the fence post cap. The prior art discloses a coupler for coupling sections of pipe together end to end.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a cap that is positionable on a fence post of a chain link fence. A loop is coupled to and extends upwardly from the cap, and the loop includes a gate portion that is pivotally coupled to a fixed portion. The gate portion is positionable in an open position thereby facilitating a top rail of the chain link fence to be installed on the fixed portion. Conversely, the gate portion is positionable in a closed position thereby facilitating the gate portion and the fixed portion to encircle the top rail. In this way the loop facilitates the top rail to be attached to the fence post. A tab is coupled to and extends upwardly from the gate portion for gripped to urge the gate portion between the open position and the closed position.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a fence post cap assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a back view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a right side view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 5 thereof, a new fence post device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the fence post cap assembly 10 generally comprises a cap 12 that is positionable on a fence post 14 of a chain link fence. The cap 12 has a top wall 16 and an outer wall 18 extending downwardly therefrom, the outer wall 18 has a distal edge 20 with respect to the top wall 16 defining an opening 22 into the cap 12. The top wall 16 has an outer portion 24 angling upwardly between the outer wall 18 and a middle portion 26. Moreover, the middle portion 26 lies on a horizontal plane when the cap 12 is positioned on the fence post 14. The outer wall 18 has a lip 28 extending outwardly therefrom and the lip 28 is aligned with the distal edge 20 of the outer wall 18.

A loop 29 is coupled to and extends upwardly from the cap 12. The loop 29 includes a gate portion 30 that is pivotally coupled to a fixed portion 32. The gate portion 30 positionable in an open position thereby facilitating a top rail 34 of the chain link fence to be installed on the fixed portion 32. The gate portion 30 is positionable in a closed position thereby facilitating the gate portion 30 and the fixed portion 32 to encircle the top rail 34. In this way the loop 29 facilitates the top rail 34 to be attached to the fence post 14. The fixed portion 32 is coupled to and extends laterally across the top wall 16 of the cap 12 such that the fixed portion 32 bisects the top wall 16. The fixed portion 32 has a first end 36, a second end 38 and an upper surface 40 extending therebetween, and the upper surface 40 is concavely arcuate between the first end 36 and the second end 38 to conform to curvature of the top rail 34.

The gate portion 30 has a primary end 42, a secondary end 44 and a lower surface 46 extending therebetween, and the lower surface 46 is convexly arcuate between the primary end 42 and the secondary end 44. The primary end 42 is pivotally coupled to the first end 36 of the fixed portion 32 and the secondary end 44 releasably engages the second end 38 of the fixed portion 32 when the gate portion 30 is in the closed position. Conversely, the secondary end 44 is spaced from the second end 38 when the gate portion 30 is positioned in the open position. The fixed portion 32 may have a notch 48 positioned on the second end 38 which extends toward the first end 36. The gate portion 30 may have a tooth 50 positioned adjacent to the secondary end primary end 42 that engages the notch 48 for releasably retaining the gate portion 30 in the closed position. Additionally, the gate portion 30 has a top surface 52 and the top surface 52 is co-arcuate with the lower surface 46.

A tab 54 is coupled to and extends upwardly from the gate portion 30. The tab 54 can be gripped for urging the gate portion 30 between the open position and the closed position. The tab 54 is positioned on the top surface 52 of the gate portion 30 and the tab 54 is aligned with an apex of the top surface 52. Additionally, the tab 54 tapers from the top surface 52 into a conical shape.

In use, the cap 12 is placed on the fence post 14, the gate portion 30 of the loop 29 is opened, the top rail 34 is laid on the fixed portion 32 of the loop 29, and the gate portion 30 is closed around the top rail 34. Moreover, the gate portion 30 of the loop 29 can be released from the top rail 34 when the cap 12 needs to be replaced or when the fence post 14 needs to be serviced. In this way the cap 12 or the fence post 14 can be removed or serviced without the need to completely remove the top rail 34 as is required with existing fence pole caps. Additionally, the top rail 34 can be removed from the chain link fence without requiring the cap 12 to be removed as well.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements. 

I claim:
 1. A fence post cap assembly having an openable eye-loop thereon for enhancing a user's ability to perform maintenance on a chain link fence, said assembly comprising: a cap being positionable on a fence post of a chain link fence; a loop being coupled to and extending upwardly from said cap, said loop including a gate portion being pivotally coupled to a fixed portion, said gate portion positionable in an open position thereby facilitating a top rail of the chain link fence to be installed on said fixed portion, said gate portion being positionable in a closed position thereby facilitating said gate portion and said fixed portion to encircle the top rail wherein said loop is configured to facilitate the top rail to be attached to the fence post; and a tab being coupled to and extending upwardly from said gate portion wherein said tab is configured to be gripped for urging said gate portion between said open position and said closed position.
 2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein: said cap has a top wall and an outer wall extending downwardly therefrom, said outer wall having a distal edge with respect to said top wall defining an opening into said cap; said top wall having an outer portion angling upwardly between said outer wall and a middle portion, said middle portion lying on a horizontal plane when said cap is positioned on the fence post; and said outer wall has a lip extending outwardly therefrom, said lip being aligned with said distal edge of said outer wall.
 3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein said fixed portion is coupled to and extends laterally across said top wall of said cap such that said fixed portion bisects said top wall, said fixed portion having a first end, a second end and an upper surface extending therebetween, said upper surface being concavely arcuate between said first end and said second end wherein said upper surface is configured to conform to curvature of the top rail.
 4. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein said gate portion has a primary end, a secondary end and a lower surface extending therebetween, said lower surface being convexly arcuate between said primary end and said secondary end, said primary end being pivotally coupled to said first end of said fixed portion, said secondary end releasably engaging said second end of said fixed portion when said gate portion is in said closed position, said secondary end being spaced from said second end when said gate portion is positioned in said open position.
 5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein: said gate portion has a top surface; and said tab is positioned on said top surface of said gate portion, said tab being aligned with an apex of said top surface.
 6. A fence post cap assembly having an openable eye-loop thereon for enhancing a user's ability to perform maintenance on a chain link fence, said assembly comprising: a cap being positionable on a fence post of a chain link fence, said cap having a top wall and an outer wall extending downwardly therefrom, said outer wall having a distal edge with respect to said top wall defining an opening into said cap, said top wall having an outer portion angling upwardly between said outer wall and a middle portion, said middle portion lying on a horizontal plane when said cap is positioned on the fence post, said outer wall having a lip extending outwardly therefrom, said lip being aligned with said distal edge of said outer wall; a loop being coupled to and extending upwardly from said cap, said loop including a gate portion being pivotally coupled to a fixed portion, said gate portion positionable in an open position thereby facilitating a top rail of the chain link fence to be installed on said fixed portion, said gate portion being positionable in a closed position thereby facilitating said gate portion and said fixed portion to encircle the top rail wherein said loop is configured to facilitate the top rail to be attached to the fence post, said fixed portion being coupled to and extending laterally across said top wall of said cap such that said fixed portion bisects said top wall, said fixed portion having a first end, a second end and an upper surface extending therebetween, said upper surface being concavely arcuate between said first end and said second end wherein said upper surface is configured to conform to curvature of the top rail, said gate portion having a primary end, a secondary end and a lower surface extending therebetween, said lower surface being convexly arcuate between said primary end and said secondary end, said primary end being pivotally coupled to said first end of said fixed portion, said secondary end releasably engaging said second end of said fixed portion when said gate portion is in said closed position, said secondary end being spaced from said second end when said gate portion is positioned in said open position, said gate portion having a top surface, said top surface being co-arcuate with said lower surface; and a tab being coupled to and extending upwardly from said gate portion wherein said tab is configured to be gripped for urging said gate portion between said open position and said closed position, said tab being positioned on said top surface of said gate portion, said tab being aligned with an apex of said top surface. 